I've been taking the AVMR 2 course which is focused on the place value and multiplication and division assessments for the AVMR program. During our first day, our instructor, Jenni Scholla, showed us the video below of Ma and Pa Kettle trying to sort out a bill they owe using the algorithms for division and then multiplication. What ensues is a comedy act that isn't too far of a stretch from what many of our students do when given the standard algorithms without the proper understanding behind them. In searching for the Ma and Pa video, I also stumbled upon the Abbot and Costello video that demonstrates the same mathematical misunderstandings. These might be fun to watch yourself or share with your students. I bet there would be some good conversation about the errors in their thinking! Enjoy!

On a different note...

Top 10 Choice Mentor Texts - If you're looking for new books to add to your classroom library, check out this list from the Two Writing Teachers.

Above are the 8 Standards of Mathematical Practice laid out in the common core as practices that mathematically proficient students engage in. These practices are highly important in our instruction as they are at the root of the mathematical thinking our students should be learning to do. It is paramount that we as teachers know these practices in order to model them and encourage them in our kids.

It is likely that we are all at varying levels of comfort and expertise with the above practices. Some of us may have them all internalized and understand what they look like, some of us may have mastered a few, some of us may just be hearing about these for the first time. Wherever you are in your journey, there is room to grow.

Last week a document called "Implementing Standards for Mathematical Practice" was shared with me. This document is a rubric that helps you reflect on your work with the 8 Standards of Mathematical Practices in your classroom. There are two areas that you can self-assess: task and teacher. The task descriptors are primarily geared towards planning math lessons, while the teacher descriptors are geared towards what happens during and after a lesson. I encourage you to check out this document and see where you land. Maybe you'll find yourself excelling in certain standards and lacking in others. Maybe you'll realize you needed a clearer definition of the practices. Maybe you'll stumble on an area that will support your math instruction going forward. If anyone is interested in looking deeper into the criteria outlined in this rubric, please let me know. I'd love to support you in developing your understanding of and use of the mathematical practices in the classroom. These are at the root of what we are teaching and can help transform our math talk if kept in mind.